THE ANCHOR
61 Lower East Street (later No 76 Lower East Street).
Earlier known as the Oriental arms, and later the Anchor and Hogshead
Brewing Started Possibly 1856, but by 1859
Acquired by Hattatt’s brewery 1886/7
This house was known as the Anchor until the 1860s when it became the Oriental Arms. In the Hattatt’s Brewery section of this site I say I believe that they had taken over, and by the 1880s, the pub was known as the Anchor Stores, and later became known as the Anchor brewery. There was also the Oriental Tap, later the Anchor Inn Tap at 4 Cross Street, (Lime Street) being their tap bar.
There could of course be an earlier association with Hattatt’s brewery, and more research is needed.
It is possible however that there was brewing on this site in 1856 under the Anchor name. In the Hampshire Advertiser of 20th December 1856 there is an advert for the letting of a two quarter brewery with the advantage of supplying pubs, tap etc. Apply at the Anchor Brewery East Street. This may of course refer to another pub or brewery, as ‘Anchor’ came later. Hattatt traded as the St Mary brewery at this time, and a two quarter brewery (a brew of about 288 gallons at a time) does suggest a smaller retail business.
In 1859 directories we find “Grossmith Frederick P Innkeeper Oriental Arms 61 Middle East Street”. In newspapers of 25th February 1860 there is a notice of insolvency of Frederick Pink Grossmith. He is described as “late of Lower East Street (in Southampton) brewer and licensed victualler and now of the Onslow Inn Onslow Road Newtown” The business failed as a result of illness. Newspapers of 12th February 1859, report that the licence was transferred from Frederick Pink Grossmith to Alfred William Walters. (Grossmith went on to run the Onslow, see the ‘pub breweries, limited info’ page).
Alfred William Walters takes over and is shown in directories of 1861 and 1863 as an innkeeper at 61 Lower East Street. He is not listed as brewer, but the 1861 Census does show his occupation as that of brewer. In September 1860, A W Walters is at the Anchor brewery 61 East Street, and he is advertising beer at 1s per gallon.
In 1857, the directory lists A W Walters as a brewer, but at Bevois Street in Shirley, (is there such a road?) and in 1859 at Lion Street Shirley as a brewer, so it appears he moved here from the Lion brewery (see the Lion brewery page).
The business did not last long however and newspapers of 23rd September 1863 run an advert for the letting, with immediate possession, of a free licensed public house, with a tap and brewery attached, situate in East Street, which was coming in not exceeding £160, and with moderate rent.
As is often the case, the ‘trail goes cold’. In 1865, 1869, and 1871, John Welsh is the Innkeeper at the Oriental Arms at 76 East Street. Again, no mention is made of him as a brewer, and note the address change).
However, might John Welsh be a member of the Welsh brewing family (Lion brewery Shirley, Wheatsheaf brewery, Apollo brewery, and the Hyde Brewery Winchester?). It will also be seen (on the Apollo brewery page) that there was a brewer, John Waters at Apollo, and A W Waters at the Lion brewery, and I think that ‘AW Waters’ and ‘A W Walters’ are in fact the same person. If so, they were at three of the same breweries as ‘Welsh’ family members.
The Hampshire Advertiser shows the licence was transferred from John Welsh to James Arthur Burgess in July 1871. In the Hampshire Advertiser 17th April 1872, there is a report of a Court case. George Sanson a brewer was charged with assaulting Charlotte Lena Stewart, a housekeeper and barmaid to Mr Burgess who kept the Oriental Arms Canal Walk. She was upstairs and he came up out the cellar quite tipsy and assaulted her. He accused her of assaulting him. Can we assume that Sanson was a brewer here?
I think Canal Walk was an error, and that the position is clarified in the Hampshire Independent of 17th August 1872, in reports of another case where persons were charged with stealing ginger brandy from James Arthur Burgess of the Oriental brewery East Street. Two of them (James Buckett and William Wellman) were employed by him to grind malt in a room above the cellar. James Burgess does not appear in directories here.
The Oriental Arms was therefore brewing in 1872, under James Burgess. Note ‘Oriental Brewery’, instead of ‘Anchor Brewery’ in 1860, when common opinion says that this beerhouse was known as the Anchor after 1860. I have said elsewhere that Hattatt’s brewery probably took over around 1872, so perhaps Burgess was a brewer employed by Hattatt, or perhaps the tap was indeed let in 1863 and brewed separately? Another work in progress.
On 1st March 1873 there is a case report of the breaking of 3 panes of glass belonging to William Sly at the tap of the Oriental Arms in Cross Street. William Sly was a brewer (See The Bitterne brewery page). In June 1874 the licence was transferred from William Sly dec’d to Elizabeth Sly, his widow. She is listed in directories until 1881, when her son, also William takes over.
The pub was later part of Hattatt’s brewery in 1886/7, and was bought by Scrase's Star brewery, followed by Strongs, then Whitbread. The pub closed around 2010 and was demolished to make way for the rebuilding and regeneration of the ‘East Street’ area of the city.